


The Best-Laid Plans Often Go Awry

by tacos_are_tasty



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, Lena Luthor Doesn't Know Kara Danvers is Supergirl, Lena is a science nerd, Lena is tempted by the dark side, Protective Lena Luthor, Red Kryptonite, angst with eventual happy ending
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-19
Updated: 2017-11-04
Packaged: 2019-01-19 21:59:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12419076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tacos_are_tasty/pseuds/tacos_are_tasty
Summary: Events that happened between Lena and redk-infected Supergirl have serious repercussions.





	1. Chapter One

Kara fidgeted, finding the wrought iron chair she was sitting on to be way more uncomfortable than it had looked, which was saying something because it had looked pretty darn uncomfortable. Even though she was the girl of steel, her butt most certainly was not, and she could feel every bump of the chair. She briefly scanned the scene before her, an outdoor patio space attached to the Italian bistro, with a dozen or so tables, of the same wrought iron variety, scattered about. It was a bit early in the day, and the rush of patrons had not yet overcrowded the space, with only two other tables occupied. Kara waited impatiently for her lunch date to arrive, as she tapped her pen on the edge of the table absent-mindedly and reviewed her notes, preparing questions to ask during the interview.

It had been four weeks since Kara and Lena had met up face to face, though they had kept up a steady conversation through text, mostly consisting of attempts to meet up (with the other having one reason or another to decline due to a busy work schedule) and occasional check ins to see how the other’s day had been. Finally, Kara had been given an assignment to interview the CEO about a recent tech acquisition for L Corp that would have major implications for security and medical advancements, and a time and day had been set up. Which Kara had been anxiously and apprehensively counting down to.

Because, while Kara and Lena had not seen each other for four weeks, Supergirl and the Luthor had crossed paths only three weeks ago, and things had not gone well, to say the least. If she were being honest with herself, Kara probably could have shuffled things around in her schedule to accept one of the texts asking to get together, and knew she had been avoiding her friend out of embarrassment. She kept repeating the mantra in her head, _“You weren’t you, it wasn’t your fault,”_ but so far, she hadn’t been successful in actually believing it, despite reassurances from Alex and J’onn. The shame and guilt were still eating at her from the inside out, and she really wasn’t sure if she would ever be able to look Lena in the eyes again.

Ready or not, she was about to find out. She couldn’t see Lena yet, but her senses were picking up on a strong, steady heartbeat that she knew without a doubt belonged to her friend. Sure enough, a few heartbeats later, Lena came into full view and made her way over to Kara, smiling and leaning down to give her friend a small hug and a kiss on the cheek. Kara’s face flushed at the closeness, and a nervous laugh escaped her throat as Lena sat down. _Keep it together, Danvers._

“Kara, I’d almost forgotten how stunning you are, it’s been so long!” Kara’s face reached the next shade of red at the compliment. “How’ve you been? Are you too warm out here? We can always go sit inside, if you’d prefer.” Kara could feel Lena’s eyes on her, but busied herself with studying the weaving pattern of the wrought iron table.

“No, no, I’m fine.” Kara hastened to respond, adding “Just getting over a stomach bug, but don’t worry, I’m not contagious.” She gave a small smile and looked up quickly to take in her friend. Her breath caught and she again looked away. Lena had her hair down today, a departure from her usual pulled-back style, and the green top she had on intensified the color of her eyes, making Kara feel like she was the recipient of x-ray vision for once.

Lena took a few moments to berate Kara for not telling her that she was feeling under the weather, and insisted that in the future she be told these things so that she could have soup and flowers and other well-wishes sent over, because “That’s what friends are for! And since you’re my only friend really, I’ve got to spoil you rotten.” Lena ended with a wink.

Another nervous laugh escaped from the reporter. _I’ve got to stop doing that._ Lena leaned back in her chair and smirked slightly, assessing the friend in front of her. “I think I might still have to send that soup your way. You are acting very strange, my dear.” Kara steeled herself and refused to let a third nervous laugh bubble up to the surface. She joked that Lena could send soup any time because she would never turn down food in any form, and used that as a segue into discussing the menu and ordering their meals. Conversation flowed with relative ease after that, with Kara forcing herself to make and maintain eye contact to avoid suspicion, though she was certain that she had a permanent flush to her face the entire time as a result.

Eventually, the topic shifted to business, and they began to discuss the tech acquisition, with Lena providing some details about the direction she saw her company taking. She talked passionately and with increasing excitement as Kara jotted down notes and asked follow up questions. As the interview neared its end, Lena provided a closing statement, again perfectly encapsulating her fervor for the subject. “This technology is going to allow us greater variety of medical care and security, to humans and aliens alike, at a significantly reduced cost to consumers. Incorporating laser technology will allow us to tackle problems at a molecular level, resulting in less invasive procedures, swifter recovery time and faster identification of security and public safety issues. The research is really quite astounding, and we have only unearthed the tip of the iceberg. The possibilities are limitless, it’s just a matter of keeping up with the science, and I am happy to say we have some of the most brilliant minds working for L Corp.”

“Including yours.” Kara had been so caught up in the CEO’s words and the emotion behind them that she hadn’t even processed her thought before it slipped from her lips.

Her friend smiled widely, her face blushing slightly at the compliment. “Thank you, Kara, that was really very kind of you to say.” Kara adjusted her glasses, and gave a slight nod in response. “I admit, I have been taking a more hands-on approach in the lab. I find it all incredibly fascinating, and it’s been nice to get away from my desk, though I’ve missed your visits to my office.” There was a slight pause before she added “I’ve just missed you in general.” Kara could sense the shift in the woman sitting across from her. Lena’s shoulders slumped slightly and some of the light went out of her eyes, as she looked down at the salad in front of her that she’d barely touched.

“I know, me too. I’m so sorry, Lena.” Against her better judgment and fear of what she might hear, Kara ventured “Hey, is everything okay?” And prodded further by adding “I talked with Supergirl a few days ago, she asked about you and seemed concerned.”

Lena snorted, which was uncharacteristic of her. “Yeah, I’ll bet,” she remarked, her words tinged with contempt. There was a long, uncomfortable silence, and for a moment Kara thought that was all Lena was going to offer on the matter, which she had conflicting feelings about, as she didn’t really want to hear more but was alarmed by the brevity and coldness of her friend’s response. Lena pulled down absent-mindedly at the hem of her right shirtsleeve, and began massaging her right wrist over the material, an action that did not go unnoticed by her friend. “How well do you know Supergirl, Kara?”

“Um, we...uh, well, we have a working relationship. She’s been a great source, and she’s helped me get the scoop on quite a few headlines.” Kara thought it best to make her “relationship” with Supergirl look strictly professional, to deter her friend from making any connections between the two blondes. “I know Supergirl does her best to help people, and that there are those who want to take advantage of her pow-“

“I think she’s dangerous.” And there it was, her greatest fear spoken out loud from the lips of her best friend. It felt like a shard of kryptonite shoved into her heart. She felt her anxiety double down, and did her best to steady her breathing as Lena continued on. “I think her intentions are good. But she is too easily manipulated, as the red kryptonite event from a few weeks ago helps prove. And if and when those powers are used against humans, it could be devastating. You need to be careful around her, Kara. I don’t know what I would do if something happened to you.”

Kara was at a loss for words. Her mouth suddenly felt thick and dry. She took a sip of her water to try and calm her nerves before responding, her voice shaking slightly. “I’ll be careful, I promise.”


	2. Chapter Two

Kara was out of breath, as she ducked down, barely avoiding contact as her DEO agent of a sister attempted a roundhouse kick to her head. She sprung back up and delivered a right hook, which was easily deflected and only succeeded in throwing her off balance. Her sister quickly took advantage, and swept Kara’s feet out from under her. Before she had a chance to react, she found herself sprawled out on her back, Alex looming above her with a fist held in suspension, inches from her face.

“Uncle.” Kara managed to get out between gasps of air.

“Wow, three losses in a row. This is not your day, Little Danvers.” Alex walked over to the control panel for the sparring room and shut down the dampeners, causing the lighting in the room to shift from a subtle red glow back to a glaring white fluorescent. “I know I’m a worthy adversary for the caped crusader, and while I was really relishing the first couple of wins, something tells me you are a little distracted today.” Alex sat down next to Kara on the mat, waiting her out patiently.

Kara sighed, wiping her sweaty palms on her pants and trying to gather her thoughts. She had instantaneously recovered from the effects of the fight once the controls had been switched off, powers and physiology fully restored, but her heart continued to race rapidly and refused to quiet down. She could feel the pounding from her ears down to her toes. This was going to be a hard conversation. She knew this for a fact, because it had been every other time they’d had it.

“I had lunch with Lena yesterday.”

“Oh.” Alex reached up and rubbed her sister’s back gently. “And, how’d that go?”

“Not…great. Alex, she looked so sad and broken, and it kills me that I’m the cause of it. And I’m so afraid that every time she looks at me, she’s going to see it in my eyes, and she’s going to hate me. What am I going to do if she hates me?” Kara hunched over and held her head in her hands, feeling a sob build up inside of her.

Alex laid her head on Kara’s shoulders, feeling her sister’s body shake with the sobs she was so desperately trying to hold back, and let her ride out the wave of emotion. Once Kara’s sobs turned to sniffles and she appeared a little more composed, Alex began the script of reassuring her. She reminded Kara that she had not been in control of herself, both actions and emotions; and that the DEO had approached Lena in the aftermath and briefed her on the situation. Alex assured her that the Luthor, while shook up, had demonstrated understanding of the effects that the red kryptonite had on Supergirl.

“She said I was dangerous. And she’s not wrong. I am when I’m not in control of myself.”

Alex took a deep breath, knowing that she couldn’t refute the statement, and gave her sister a big hug. “Kara, you have the best heart of anyone I know. You are my favorite person. You are good, and don’t you forget that.” Kara furrowed her eyebrows together and shook her head slightly, not able to reconcile her feelings of guilt with her sister’s belief in her goodness. Alex nudged her shoulder to get her attention. “Hey, we are going to figure this out. But in the meantime, maybe limit contact with Lena Luthor, especially when Supergirl. She needs a little more time.”

Easier said than done, when every fiber of her being was aching to find a way to fix her wrong right now. It occurred to her, the only way that was going to happen was if the DEO secretly had a time machine hidden away somewhere.

\--------------------

Kara lightly touched down on the balcony. She knew this was a bad idea, and it went against everything she and Alex had agreed on just hours before. But she also knew that there was a very disgruntled and belligerent businessman yelling and in dangerous proximity of the L Corp CEO. She had been listening to the conversation from blocks away while on her nightly patrol, and while she at first tried tuning it out—as it mostly pertained to boring business matters—it had gradually escalated into the scene she now saw before her.

Apparently, the man had signed a contract which handed over several of his commercial properties, and while he had originally agreed to the terms and payout, he was now of the opinion that he was entitled to almost double the amount. The CEO had very matter-of-factly informed him that the contract was binding and that he could not back out of the deal. These were not the words he hoped to hear, and the dolt thought that intimidation might change her mind. Still, Kara had hesitated, not sure if she should intervene.

The moment that really piqued Supergirl’s attention was when she heard the Luthor very evenly tell the man that he needed to calm down and take a few steps back or she was going to call security. The man had erupted in anger, and it was clear that Lena had made for the button to notify security as promised, when the man yelled out “Don’t you fucking dare!” She then heard a yelp of pain, and found herself right outside of the CEO’s office within seconds.

Kara stepped through the balcony doors and cleared her throat, causing both occupants to startle and look her way. She noticed two things simultaneously. First, the man had his hand held up to his nose, which was dripping blood profusely. And second, that the CEO’s eyes widened in surprise, and for a brief moment fear was evident as day across her face, before she quickly schooled her features into a more neutral expression. She also made note that even though Lena had almost been attacked by the man before her, her heartbeat had remained relatively steady and slow, like it’d been during their lunch date. At the sight of Supergirl, it was now beating a million miles a minute.

“Excuse me, Ms. Luthor. Is everything okay?” She worked at keeping her voice calm and confident.

“It’s fine.” Lena resumed reaching for the security button, this time unimpeded. “Bernard here was just about to be escorted out by security. And should consider himself very lucky that I’m not pressing charges.” Bernard, as he was now known, still looked incredibly angry but didn’t have a chance to give a response, as three security guards entered the room just seconds later, quickly took in the situation and ushered him from the room, dutifully closing the door behind them.

Then came the most awkward and uncomfortable moment of Kara’s existence, and she was going to go out on a limb and say it probably was for the CEO as well. “Well, uhmm, I’m glad everything is okay.”

Lena knitted her eyebrows together, looking as though she was deep in thought as she surveyed the super hero in front of her. “Yes. Thank you for your assistance, Supergirl. Everything is quite alright.”

Kara turned to go, but found herself hesitating. She didn’t know what to say, but knew that she should say something. As if watching herself from outside her body, Kara turned back towards her friend. “Ms. Luthor, for what it’s worth, I am truly sorry what happened. For what I did.”

The Luthor simply stared at her for a moment, eerily void of any expression. “I understand there was some red kryptonite at play.”

Kara nodded and looked away. “Yes. It…lowers inhibitions and it…clouds my judgment, and makes me act…erratically. Impulsively.” She looked back at Lena, holding her gaze. “I…I am so sorry. I know there is no way for me to make it right, but I will do everything I can to try and do so.”

Lena’s expression softened slightly, and her racing heart started to slow down a little. “It seems that we were both victims of a very cruel joke, Supergirl. The DEO tells me that you weren’t you, and I have to admit that I believe them. That was not the Supergirl I know, the one who’s saved my life more times than I have fingers.” Kara could feel her heart unclench slightly at her friend’s words, the beginnings of hope starting to take root, and realized that a tear had slipped from her eye, down her right cheek.

The Luthor noticed too, and gave her a small smile, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “It’s going to take me some time to trust you again, but I think you’re still worth trusting in.” The CEO exhaled, and then laughed shakily, looking around the room at everything but Supergirl, as her eyes began to well up.

Kara could feel the emotions rolling off of Lena, and sensed that she was beginning to wear out her welcome, especially if the proud CEO was about to break down in tears. She knew Lena would not want Supergirl to see that. Kara, maybe. But Supergirl, definitely not. “I promise I will earn that trust. Thank you, Ms. Luthor.”

Lena nodded and forced out a “You’re welcome.”

“Good night, Ms. Luthor.”

“Good night, Supergirl.”

And Kara was off, flying as quickly as she could to put distance between her and the L Corp building. Unfortunately, it wasn’t fast enough, and she could hear the heart-breaking sobs escaping from her friend seconds after she took off from the balcony. It wasn’t fixed, by any means. Kara wasn’t naïve enough to think that it ever could be. But hopefully some healing could start, for both herself and Lena. And that was a better place to be than they were in yesterday. She’d take it for now.

\--------------------

Lena took a deep breath and rubbed her temples in a circular motion, trying to relieve the pressure she felt in her head. It had been a trying day, and as much as she had wanted to head home, pour herself a scotch and unwind, she knew she wouldn’t be able to calm her nerves anyway.

Work took her mind off of things, and so work she would do. She looked at the clock, and was surprised it was already 10:15 in the evening.

She pressed her intercom, “Jess, can you come in here, please?” She heard her assistant’s voice respond affirmatively and just seconds later her body was standing in front of her.

“Ms. Luthor, is there anything I can get you?”

Lena smiled at her loyal secretary, and thought sadly that, after Kara, she was probably the closest thing she had to a friend. “No Jess, that will be all. I just wanted to let you know you can head home for the night. I just have a bit of paperwork to finish up here, but nothing I can’t handle.”

Jess was apprehensive about leaving her boss alone, especially considering the encounter with the businessman earlier in the evening, but knew better than to do anything else but acquiesce to the CEO’s request. “Okay, Ms. Luthor, but if there’s anything at all that you need, please don’t hesitate to call me in.”

“I’ll be okay, Jess.” Her secretary turned to go and was nearly out the door when Lena stopped her. “Hey, Jess.” The other woman turned to face her, expectantly. “Thank you. Have a good night.” She smiled reassuringly.

“Thanks Ms. Luthor. You too.”

And she was on her own. She finished up some more paperwork and reviewed some files in preparation for her meetings tomorrow, and before she knew it, 45 minutes had passed. She yawned, gathered her things and headed for the elevator. Once inside, she bypassed the button that would bring her to the lobby, and instead pressed the circle marked “-3,” bringing her three floors below ground and required her keycard for entry.

The elevator lurched to a stop, and she stepped off, turning left, right, and another left til she made it to the locked double doors she’d become so familiar with over the last three weeks. The doors were guarded by a sentry 24/7, and tonight it was a guy who’s name she’d learned was Jeff. She greeted him and made small talk, asking about his newborn and whether she’d slept through the night yet. He joked that he could only go by what his husband told him, because he was usually working that shift. Lena made a mental note about having Jeff switched to a shift that would allow him to be with his family more, and starting a company daycare center for her employees, to help alleviate some of the burden.

“Anyone else in the lab?”

“Ms. Luthor, it’s 11 o’clock at night. Everyone else went home hours ago. You’ve got the entire lab to yourself.”

“Great. Let’s keep it that way til I come back through these doors, okay, Jeff?” She smiled warmly at him, and he nodded in agreement.

“You got it, boss. Happy huntin’.”

She placed her badge up to the card reader, waited for the beep, and promptly entered the lab. She was ready to finally get some work done.


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena gets stuff done in the lab, and has many reflections.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a challenging chapter to write. I didn't like doing it, it made me anxious and uncomfortable and I'm really glad it's over with. I've added an archive warning as a result. 
> 
> Also, I know nothing about science, so I'm very sorry about that. Just go with it!
> 
> I swear it will have a happy ending eventually.

Lena propped her safety glasses on top of her head as she moved over to the other end of the counter to jot down her latest findings, removing her protective gloves as she did so. She’d been at it for nearly an hour and a half now, and was finally considering wrapping up for the night and heading home to catch a few hours of sleep before she had to head back in to the office. All in all, it had been a productive session she thought, and let out a deep sigh, allowing herself to feel a little bit of pride over what she had accomplished so far.

Her mind drifted to the scene from earlier this evening in her office, Supergirl standing in front of her, Bernard hunched over nursing his wound in between them. She’d just landed a punch to Bernard’s face when the sound of someone clearing their throat startled her. She found the source, and terror had gripped her immediately. For a second she couldn’t remember to breathe and the room had started to spin. Quickly, she had worked to recover her composure, fighting back the urge to scream or run or curl up into a fetal position. She barely processed the words that were spoken to her, but Lena was good at working on autopilot, and set in motion the steps to get her would-be attacker removed. Supergirl had made as though she was going to fly off, and Lena was relieved until she saw the woman turn and then she was saying words that sounded like an apology and Lena really couldn’t handle where this conversation was headed.

She heard herself ask about the red kryptonite, and was surprised by how truly curious she was to hear the woman’s response. Something about hearing the caped crusader describe the effects helped calm her down a little. She could see how much Supergirl struggled with getting the words out, each word heavy with guilt and remorse. Something inside of Lena melted a little, and she found herself talking again. At the sight of a single tear falling down Supergirl’s cheek, she melted a little more and was afraid she was going to end up a puddle on the floor if she wasn’t careful. Thankfully, the conversation had ended soon after that and she was able to fall apart in the privacy of her office.

On an intellectual level, Lena got it. She was smart. She was a scientist. She understood that the red-k Supergirl was not the real Supergirl. However, she also knew that red-k Supergirl had been motivated on some level by real Supergirl’s thoughts and desires. Supergirl had said it herself; that it lowered her inhibitions and made her act impulsively. Most likely, on things that she actually had thought about doing. Why red-k Supergirl had decided to approach Lena, she wasn’t sure, as real Supergirl had never given any indications that would have suggested her regrettable actions.

On an emotional level, Lena still couldn’t come to terms with what happened. She wanted to trust Supergirl again, but when she attempted to rationalize everything, she was overcome by anxiety and a degree of anger she had never felt before. To be honest, that scared her more than anything. She had so much rage building up inside of her, and no outlet to release it, that she felt like she was a geyser nearing maximum pressure.

Then she thought of Kara Danvers, her best friend who, because of her job, often came into contact with the super hero. Lena tried to push away images of what might have happened if red-k Supergirl had come across her reporter friend that night instead of her, and she felt her anger flare up. She would do everything in her power to prevent that from happening to her friend. Lena was going to be ready the next time red-k Supergirl came around to play, because she knew it wasn’t a question of if it would happen, but when. The super hero had been infected two times in the same number of years. Based on the odds, it was only a matter of time.

Lena took a few deep breaths, calming herself before she returned to the task at hand. The object of her studies, a multi-shard mass of red kryptonite about 6 inches in diameter and weighing close to 15 pounds, lay on the opposite end of the counter on top of the scanning pad for one of the new machines L Corp recently acquired. Lord Technologies, recently having gone bankrupt and forced to sell off their assets following the incarceration of its’ now defamed CEO Maxwell Lord, had been desperate, and Lena had been more than happy to help them out, buying not only the majority of their equipment but also all research that had been conducted by the company. She knew that while Lord was certifiably insane, he had been a brilliant scientist, and she was set on making sure his genius did not go to waste. Lena was going to use it to make the world a better place.

She had been surprised to find that the research she received also included detailed schematics on how to synthesize red kryptonite. Of course, she had had no plans to ever do so, knowing how dangerous it made National City’s defender the last time she’d been infected. While she had not yet moved to the city, news of Supergirl’s uncharacteristic antics and her attack on Cat Grant had spread to Metropolis and captured headlines for weeks after. So instead, the Luthor had locked all information pertaining to red kryptonite away in a high security area of the building, to which only she had access, knowing how disastrous it would be if the information ever got into the wrong hands again.

Which, of course, it still had.

Lena’s best guess was that Lord had shared his secrets and knowledge with someone else before becoming a permanent resident of Van Kull Maximum Security Prison. Unfortunately, it meant that Lena could no longer contain and protect the world from red kryptonite; and if she couldn’t contain it, then the next best thing was to learn everything about it and exploit it. Doing what she had thought she would never in a million years do, Lena successfully synthesized the material. And learn everything about it, she had.

She discovered that the red kryptonite was a partially living organism, which had surprised her and certainly complicated her research. She also found that the source of the infection was viral, not bacterial, and based on what she was seeing at a molecular level, there was a chance that she could modify compounds of the substance in order to generate a viable vaccine. Upon contact with the virus at a later date, Supergirl’s immune system would be able to respond much more rapidly to fight off the effects, potentially resulting in complete immunity. Once the vaccine was complete, Lena planned to contact Kara’s sister, Agent Danvers of the DEO, and hand it over, along with all the related research acquired from Lord. She guessed she’d probably have a working vaccine within the next few days. Until then, she felt it best to keep her plans under wraps.

Suddenly feeling the pull of exhaustion, Lena began collecting her notes and clearing the work space for the scientists who would be coming in for their morning shift, not wanting to give any sign that she’d been there. She reached for the red kryptonite, planning to return it to its individual containment cell, and felt a stabbing pain shoot through her right wrist as she attempted to hoist the rock up off the table. Cursing, she dropped it and rubbed her wrist, trying to soothe the ache that was coursing through it.

“Damnit, Bernard!” She had punched him, and it had been glorious and oddly satisfying. Unfortunately, her wrist had not entirely healed from her previous injury and the punch, while worth it, had more than likely brought her back to square one. Examining more closely, she noted that the bruising had almost faded and she could no longer make out the individual marks from each finger of the hand that had been clamped like a vice around her wrist. Just a faint yellowish tint to the skin remained, and in a couple days that would be gone too. Maybe without a physical reminder, she wouldn’t think about that day so much.

Almost as if on cue, Lena’s brain couldn’t help but return to the scene of the crime, seeing everything as vividly as the night it had happened, despite Lena desperately not wanting to remember. It was like a song that was stuck in her head, and no matter how hard she tried to think about something else or a different song, the chorus would pop into her mind, usually just as she was about to fall asleep, five times more grating and incessant than it’d been before. Try as she might to avoid it, the memory washed over her unsolicited.

It had been late in the evening, but she had gotten home only about an hour or so ago. Just enough time to pour herself a glass of wine, run the bath water and relax for a bit before turning in. Work had been grueling the last few days, and while the warm water helped work out some of the knots, she could still feel tension in her neck and shoulders and just in general, felt like she was on edge. Taking a sip of her wine, she thought of the perfect solution to calm her nerves.

Setting her glass gently on the edge of the tub, she let her hand sink below the water and rest on her abdomen. Caressing her skin, she lazily made her way down to between her legs, and her breath hitched slightly as fingers made contact with her clit. It had been awhile since she’d indulged in the act, and the sensation caught her off guard. She continued to make slow circles, letting the warm buzz build throughout her body as her mind wandered, eventually conjuring a mental image of a certain blonde wearing a cape in her head.

Yes, she knew it was cliché. Everyone and their grandmother probably thought about Supergirl while getting off. The L Corp CEO was no exception, and the super hero often made an appearance in her fantasies. Lena was breathing heavier, as she picked up the pace and varied the pressure, imagining it was Supergirl touching her and bringing her to the edge. She pictured Supergirl’s eyes, and her smile, and before she knew it she was riding out the waves of an orgasm crashing through her body.

It took her a few moments to recover, as she lay in the tub, feeling more relaxed and alive than she had in weeks. Eventually, she found herself feeling a little chilled by the now cooled down bath water, and she stepped out, toweled off and draped herself in her bathrobe. She swallowed the remains of her glass in one gulp as the bath water drained, and then stepped out into bedroom.

She could tell immediately that she wasn’t alone, but before she had a chance to react, whoever was in the room with her made themselves known by rushing upon her at a surprising speed and pressing her up against the wall. Her body processed it was Supergirl before her brain did, as she felt a warmth start to spread between her legs again and she briefly flashed back to the image of Supergirl she’d had moments before. But then her brain caught up and alerted her that it was strange that the woman would show up at her private residence. She’d never done that before. Something was wrong, she must be in danger and Lena wondered what kind of trouble her mother had caused now.

“Supergirl, what’s going-“

“Shhhh. I’m not really here to have a conversation with you right now.” Lena looked startled, which only seemed to annoy Supergirl, who scoffed loudly and pressed her up even tighter against the wall. Her confusion grew even more when Supergirl began grinding herself on Lena’s exposed thigh.

Everything had happened so quickly after that. She remembered asking in alarm, “What are you doing??” as she frantically tried to push Supergirl off of her. Of course, she was unsuccessful. Her strength was no match for the girl of steel, who hardly even took note of her protests.

“You are so fucking beautiful, and I want you touching me. Right now.” Lena had absolutely no say in the matter, as Supergirl roughly grabbed her right wrist, causing her to yelp in pain. Again, her cry seemed to barely register with the other woman as she forced Lena’s hand into her waistband and down between her legs, and started moving it back and forth, the grip on her wrist never letting up. She felt hot tears roll down her face, as she stood in shocked silence, not fully believing this was happening to her, while Supergirl quickly accomplished what she’d come for. Lena desperately tried to block out the moans and the feel of Supergirl’s body shuddering against her as she found her release.

And it was over. Lena cradled her right hand with her other, as she backed away, her progress stopped by the feel of the bed on the back of her legs. She chanced a look at Supergirl, who now wore a small smirk and found that she couldn’t look away. Supergirl looked feral and ravenous, and she realized that as terrible as that had been, she wasn’t out of danger yet. In one quick movement, Supergirl was again inches in front of her, and shoved her down onto the bed.

“I could hear you already take your turn earlier, but let’s see what else we can get out of you.” Lena found herself blushing furiously, wondering if Supergirl could read her mind and somehow knew she had been thinking about her then.

Taking a breath, Lena gathered her courage and stated with as much authority as she could muster, “Don’t you fucking touch me, you monster.” Supergirl tsked her displeasure, before letting a devious smile spread across her face. Her eyes flashed red for a second, which caught Lena’s attention, and she started to saunter towards her, closing the gap between them. Lena had wanted to move, but found herself paralyzed by the fear.

It was at this time, better late than never, that the DEO had barged in, surrounding them and shooting Supergirl with some kind of tranquilizer, which had an almost immediate effect and caused the blonde to slump over on top of her. She refused to let the waves of panic roll through her, as the agents worked to get the now unconscious super hero off of her. She held back the sobs as Agent Danvers explained the situation, and nodded her head at all the right times. She heard herself agreeing with the DEO agent that the red kryptonite had been to blame, but a small part of her wondered if she was to blame, too. If she hadn’t been in the tub doing what she was doing, if she hadn’t been wearing that bathrobe…

Of course, as Lena stood in the lab, reflecting on the night forever burned into her memory, she knew that was bullshit. She wasn’t to blame. Supergirl wasn’t to blame. She didn’t know who to blame. And she had resolved herself to the fact that it didn’t really matter, because blame wouldn’t make her feel any better. The vaccine and protecting Kara was what was going to make her feel better.

Lena reached out for the red kryptonite again, bracing her wrist this time. Just as her hands made contact with the rock, she heard the whir of the ventilation system grind to a halt, followed by darkness seconds later, the only light a subtle red glow coming from the red kryptonite. It was annoying, but power outages did occur within the facility occasionally, and the system usually came back online shortly, so it was best to wait it out. She let her hands rest on the glowing mass, and thought for a second how beautiful it actually was. She realized this was the first time she'd handled it directly, as she usually wore the protective gloves that were now laying in plain sight, on the other end of the table. This was the last complete thought she had before a power surge coursed through the machinery, causing the kryptonite to glow a richer red and knocking Lena off her feet and to the ground, where she laid in a crumpled, unconscious pile.


	4. Chapter Four

“Ms. Luthor! Are you okay??” Someone sounded like they were talking to her from inside a tunnel, the words reverberating against the walls of her skull. “Oh my god, please don’t be dead. Ms. Luthor, wake up!” She was beginning to hear the words with a little more clarity, and she thought she recognized the voice as belonging to Jeff, the security guard. Her eyes fluttered open, and sure enough, Jeff was crouched down next to her, beads of sweat sluicing down his face. “Oh, thank god! Ms. Luthor, are you okay, can you hear me?”

“Most certainly. You’re a foot away and yelling loud enough for Metropolis to hear you, Jeff.” He laughed heartily at that, and made a “whew” sound as he exhaled a large breath of air. “How long have I been down for the count?” She pushed herself up into a sitting position, which required considerable effort, as her entire body ached from the shock she’d taken from the power surge.

“Not long. I came running in right after the surge, and found you laying on the ground like that. Maybe three minutes ago? Wow, you had me scared shitless, boss. Pardon the language.” Lena arched an eyebrow and gave a small smirk. What did he think, she had virgin ears? Her history with cursing would probably make him weep with embarrassment if compared. She and the f word were tight. He smiled sheepishly and stood up, taking in the surroundings. “Ms. Luthor, you’ve been doing honest to gosh science up in here!” She rolled her eyes, wondering what the security guard thought she’d been up to in the lab all this time.

She noticed his attention was now drawn to the red kryptonite that was still laying on the counter, except, well, it didn’t really look all that red anymore. The hue seemed deeper and darker, almost purple but not quite, depending on how the light hit it. It still glowed softly, and Lena found herself entranced for a moment, barely taking in the guard’s words, but catching them just in time. Jeff, equally captivated by the glowing mass, asked in awe “Whoa, what is this?” as he began to reach out to touch it.

“Don’t!” Shouting made her head hurt, but it had the desired effect. Jeff jumped back and stared questioningly at his boss. “Don’t touch it. It’s not meant to be handled directly. It’s…not stable at the moment.” This was just a guess, but the fact that it’d changed its physical properties when exposed to electricity was slightly concerning, and she definitely wanted to look into the matter before anyone else touched it.

Jeff grimaced playfully and shrugged his shoulders. “Oops, sorry. Didn’t know.” She knew he was trying to make light of the situation, and usually it would have made her chuckle, or at least smile.

Instead, her eyes narrowed, and she scathingly responded, “And that’s why you’re just a security guard Jeff, and not a scientist.” At the hurt look on his face, Lena immediately regretted the remark, and berated herself for saying something so rude to someone she genuinely liked as a person. “I…I am so sorry, I’m not really sure where that came from.”

“S’alright, Ms. Luthor.” He smiled and laughed it off. “You’ve had a pretty rough night. Think you can stand?” He offered her a hand, which she gratefully accepted, and pulled her to her feet. He really was a nice guy, she felt like such a knob for having hurt his feelings.

“Really, Jeff. I think you’re a great security guard. You’re very good at what you do, and we’re lucky to have you here.” She could see his cheeks start to turn red at the compliment.

“Aww, thanks, Ms. Luthor. You need any help with anything? Want me to call a doctor or something?”

“No, that’ll be all, Jeff. I feel fine, just a little sore.” She smiled, but found herself having to bite back another harsh critique about his lack of ability to check her pulse to see if she had been alive. “I’m just going to clean up here and I’ll be on my way. I’ll see you on my way out.”

Jeff nodded and ducked out of the lab. There were only a few more papers for her to gather up, and then with great deliberation she placed the protective gloves on, vowing to never make the mistake of forgetting them again, and put the now purple kryptonite safely in storage. This felt like the longest night ever, and she thought for once, in nearly three weeks, she might not have a restless, nightmare-laden sleep.

\--------------------

Kara Danvers walked down the streets of National City, a big smile on her face and a light spring in her step, as she made her way over to the L Corp building. She’d decided to surprise her friend with breakfast this morning, and had a box of donuts tucked under one arm as she made her way into the lobby and greeted the receptionist, who recognized her immediately and waved her through. She’d gotten a dozen in total, making sure to get a good variety, but had already eaten three on her way over. Once inside the elevator, she reached in to devour a fourth, taking care to avoid the cruller, which she knew was Lena’s favorite.

Her talk with Lena last night as Supergirl had given her new hope, and she was feeling much better about the day ahead of her, planning on increasing her efforts to repair the relationship with her best friend. Donuts were a great place to start, she thought. But then again, Kara realized she was a very food motivated individual, she was a lot like a dog in that sense, which she always considered to be her spirit animal.

The elevator doors opened up and she was met by Lena’s personal assistant, Jess, who usually smiled at her warmly and made brief conversation about the weather or an article of Kara’s she’d seen in the paper. But today, she clearly had something on her mind, and she looked worried. Which, of course, made Kara start to worry, as her step faltered and she lost her balance slightly.

She caught herself and forced a cheery smile as she addressed the secretary. “’Morning, Jess! Would you like a donut? Just don’t take the cruller!” Jess returned the smile, worry still evident in her eyes, and passed on the sugary confection. “Is Ms. Luthor in? Thought I’d surprise her with breakfast.” The assistants’ brows furrowed together, a look of concern on her face, but she nodded to confirm that the brunette was in fact behind the office doors, something Kara had already discerned using her x-ray vision.

“She…she’s in. I’ll let her know you’re here.” She pressed the intercom and alerted the CEO that she had a visit from Kara Danvers. Lena’s voice came over the waves, telling Jess to “send her in” in a cool, confident voice. Kara started to make for the door, but Jess stopped her. “She doesn’t seem herself today. I shouldn’t tell you, but there was an incident last night. A man tried to attack her. I think she’s a little shook up, but maybe your visit will help.” Kara nodded, and attempted a wink, as if to say ‘I got this, don’t worry!’ She made another step towards the door but stopped again at the sound of Jess’ voice. “Don’t tell her I told you, she might get mad.” The assistant seemed legitimately distraught at the thought of her boss finding out, which she thought kind of unusual, but Kara assured her she wouldn’t say a word.

Now on the other side of the door, Kara could see the CEO sitting at her desk, head bent and looking intently at the documents spread haphazardly in front of her. That was a bit strange, Lena usually took such care in keeping her desk organized, recalling the phrase she had used once, “Unclutter your space, unclutter your mind.” Kara chuckled and thought _Oh boy, she must be all cluttered today._

The CEO, so deep in thought, still hadn’t noticed her, and so Kara took several large steps towards her friend and in her usual chipper—though not quite as chipper of late, but she was trying—manner, made her presence known. “Hi, you!” Lena looked up, slightly startled, before smiling back at her. “I have come bearing gifts of the sugary variety.” She moved a little closer so Lena could get a better look as she proffered her goods, and felt a slight wave of vertigo come over her. _That was weird._ “Uh, pick your poison!” Lena laughed, and the sound made Kara’s heart light up. Of course, as she had expected, Lena picked the cruller, placing it on top a napkin on her desk.

“Why, thank you, Kara! Forget Supergirl, _you_ are my super hero.” Lena reached out and rested her hand on Kara’s forearm as she thanked her, letting it linger a beat before removing it to start in on her donut. Kara could feel her cheeks burning, and she suddenly felt very warm. Was the office set to a hundred degrees, or had she simply spontaneously combusted? She fanned herself with a napkin, in a feeble attempt to cool down, and couldn’t help but notice another roll of vertigo wash over her. _What the hell is wrong with me?_ Kara decided to power through, and reached for another donut, thinking it might help.

“So, how’s your morning so far?”

Lena grimaced, and shook her head slightly. “It’s been a wreck. I had a rather bizarre night last night, and didn’t get much sleep on top of that. And, I don’t know, I just feel…a little off.” Her friend sighed, clearly frustrated, and Kara could see the exhaustion in her eyes.

“Hmm. What was so bizarre about last night?” Kara asked curiously, wondering if Lena would mention her encounter with Supergirl, and hoping that she hadn’t been the cause of Lena’s sleepless night. Especially considering that Kara had, in fact, had the soundest sleep she’d had in ages, free of her usual nightmares. She felt a little guilty that the other had not been so fortunate.

Lena hesitated before responding, and once she did, Kara didn’t miss the fact that her friend kept her response pretty vague. “Just some weird results I got while working in the lab, that’s all. Oh, and I punched a guy.”

Kara’s eyes widened in feigned surprise, as she was already aware of that last bit, but knew it warranted a reaction. “You did WHAT??”

She found herself watching in awe as her friend leaned back in her chair in a rather cavalier pose, both arms raised up behind her head, a grin spreading across her face. “What can I say, you don’t mess with a Luthor, love.”

Kara laughed nervously and pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. “I will try to stay on your good side, then.” She went to take another bite of her donut, but in her distracted state, only part of it made it into her mouth, the rest crumbling to pieces all over the CEO’s desk and very important papers. Kara grabbed some napkins and began frantically trying to clean up the debris. “Crap! Lena, I’m really sorry. I’m messy when I eat donuts.”

“Oh? Are you messy when you eat…other things?” Kara’s head shot up, not sure she properly understood the question. To clear up any confusion, Lena arched an eyebrow and spread her legs suggestively, and Kara’s jaw dropped at the implication, her mouth still full of donut. Lena was wearing a mid-length skirt today, and the view Kara was being offered exposed much of her inner upper thigh, not leaving much to the imagination.

Standing there for what felt like an eternity in the Phantom Zone, but was probably just a few seconds, Kara couldn’t help but stare, and realized a second too late that she had sub-consciously started to bite her lip. What was worse, the CEO had seen her reaction and was now smirking, spreading her legs just a little bit wider. Everything about this felt wrong, especially all things considered. So why was she having such a hard time looking away?

What finally broke the spell was yet another bout of vertigo, more intense than the last, and the realization that she felt like she was burning up. Seriously, Kara thought she might have spiked a fever. Or that was her best guess, as she’d never had one before but remembered Alex having been violently ill when they were kids.

“Um, well…you know I’m pretty clumsy. I should really start bringing a drop cloth with me wherever I go.” Kara looked down and shuffled her feet, not sure what to do. She didn’t want to leave on such an awkward note, but knew that the sooner she got to the DEO so Winn could take a look at her vitals, the better. She glanced up at Lena, and found that her friend was staring at her intently, and ducked her head in shame. 

“Kara, oh my god, please forgive me. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I’m…really not sure what came over me just now.”

Currently preoccupied by her rapidly declining health and still pretty embarrassed by having been caught staring at her friend, Kara failed to see the look of complete panic and disbelief on Lena’s face, as she hurriedly replied. “Yeah, no, it’s cool. Um, look, I just realized I have a meeting in like, fifteen minutes, so I gotta fly.” She almost rolled her eyes at her word choice. She decided to try and salvage the situation, and went on to the whole reason she’d come in the first place. “But, I was hoping we could get together for a movie night tomorrow. You know, if you’re not busy…” She trailed off, mostly because she was having an increasingly difficult time stringing sentences together; she was starting to feel delirious. 

“That would be wonderful, but Kara, are y-”

“Great, see you at my place. 7 pm.” She forced a smile and made for the door, every effort on putting one foot in front of the other. 

“Kara, are we-“

“Yeah! Of course! Sorry, I am so late!” She shouted over her shoulder, knowing it would’ve exerted too much energy to turn around, and was out the door and heading for the elevator faster than a speeding bullet, leaving a very confused Lena in her wake.

Taking some deep breaths, she waited anxiously as the elevator neared the ground floor, trying to think of the closest alley she could slink off to that would allow her to discreetly change and fly over to the DEO. Though, she wasn’t sure she should be flying in her condition. Kara had never experienced symptoms like this before. Even in the past when she’d been affected by kryptonite, it had caused excruciating pain and left her feeling weak and defenseless. But not dizzy and feverish. This was different, and it scared her to think that something other than kryptonite might be her, well, kryptonite. 

Much to her surprise, the deep breaths she’d been taking seemed to be helping, because by the time the elevator hit the ground floor, her symptoms had mostly dissipated and she felt more or less back to normal. Whatever had caused her health to deteriorate had left just as quickly as it had arrived. By the time she made it to the alley and spun into her suit, the fever and vertigo were completely gone. She hesitated, wondering whether or not it was still worth alerting the DEO, but in the end decided she didn’t want to chance it. She pushed off the ground, into the air, and made her way over to headquarters to be poked and prodded. 

\--------------------

By the time mid-day rolled around, Lena had put it together enough to know that something was terribly wrong with her, and she had the sneaking suspicion that much of it had to do with the glowing purple rock stored in the sub-basement level of the building. It felt like someone or something was hijacking her mind and making her say and do things to the people around her, and once the appalling words and actions were out in the open, she was left to try and clean up the mess, which was becoming increasingly impossible to do, as each occurrence seemed to be getting more out of hand.

It had started when her assistant Jess greeted her that morning, and informed her that the first appointment of the day had been cancelled. Lena had been looking forward to that particular meeting, as it was instrumental in moving on to the next stage of a big contract she was trying to lock down. Instead of simply feeling disappointed that it had fallen through, she felt her anger rise and found herself implying that the cancellation had somehow been a result of Jess’ inability to properly schedule clients, and that if she couldn’t handle her job responsibilities, Lena would find someone else who could. The look of surprise on her assistant’s face as she walked out of the office and back to her desk almost broke her heart, and she had immediately rushed out to apologize, reassuring the woman that she was in fact the best assistant she’d ever had.

And yet.

Not even fifteen minutes later, Jess had brought in a cup of coffee for her like she always did in the mornings, giving her boss a hesitant smile as she did so. Lena noticed a slight tremble to the girl’s hands as she made to put the cup down, causing the contents to spill a little over the edge onto the small saucer underneath. She found herself overwhelmingly irritated by both the shaky hands and the spilled contents, and though she recognized how absurd it was she couldn’t stop the words from spilling out, yelling at her assistant for not even being able to do something as simple as bring her a cup of coffee without making a mess. She had to fight down the urge to grab the cup and smash it against the wall. Definitely an irrational response, and definitely not like her. She had had a difficult time trying to explain that one away, and she was pretty sure her assistant was likely going to spend her evening typing up her resignation letter.

Of course, then there had been the visit from Kara, which if there had been any doubt before that something was amiss, that interaction helped confirm it. Not only had she flirted with her, but it had been in a rather suggestive and forward manner, and the look of shock on her friend’s face was forever burned into her retinas. Kara had retreated from her office so quickly after that, that it was almost comical, but she couldn’t muster up the energy to laugh. Lena groaned, shaking her head as she leaned back in her chair and looked up at the ceiling, contemplating what steps she should take to try and repair things. They were having the movie night tomorrow evening, and she wasn’t sure if she should bring it up or just let Kara take the reins, and only talk about it if Kara mentioned it. She would be lying if she said that she’d never thought about Kara in a more than platonic way, because, well, she had eyes and she knew that her friend was beautiful. She had rounded the corner from it just being a slight crush to being completely, full blown in love with her a long time ago, but knew that her friend did not feel the same way, and her feelings were therefore irrelevant and not worth mentioning. She didn’t want to risk losing her friend, she was the only one she had, after all.

That didn’t stop her mind from wandering sometimes, though. Usually she would imagine (or rather, used to, all things considered) Supergirl when touching herself and finding a release, but occasionally images of Kara would flicker into view, which always caused an uncomfortable feeling of guilt and so she would work to get her mind back to Supergirl as quickly as possible. But sometimes she wasn’t fast enough and she always came the hardest when she still had her friend’s shy, infectious smile on the brain. Lena shook herself from these thoughts, knowing she was headed down a dangerous path as she could feel the warmth and tingling sensation start to spread at her core. She refocused, thinking about the last event that had put the final nail in the coffin.

They had been in the middle of a board meeting, and one of the accountants, whom she had never liked but remained civil towards—particularly now that she was biding her time and waiting to fire him once human resources completed their investigation of a sexual harassment claim against him—was clearly too important to actually pay attention to anything that was happening. He had been playing around on his phone for the entire duration, and when she’d asked a question regarding the company’s quarterly capital gains report, another board member suggested that Gary, the accountant engrossed in his Twitter or Tindr app, might know the answer. Gary looked like a deer in headlights, as he frantically fumbled around, trying to find the document that would give him the answers. Lena rolled her eyes, and commanded him to stop. Once she had his full attention, she continued. “Maybe if you weren’t so busy eye fucking your secretaries and making unwanted advances towards them, you would’ve had more time to prepare.” He blanched at her words, and something inside of Lena called to her, wanting to completely annihilate and humiliate him. She forced herself to keep her words measured and calm, as she clenched her jaw and continued on. “I want you to get up, go to your office, and wait for security. They will assist you with packing up your things. And then, I want you to get the fuck out of my building. Are we going to have any misunderstandings about what I just told you to do?” The accountant shook his head, beads of sweat and possibly tears dripping down his face. “Good. Get moving.”

Gary had rushed out immediately at her command, and the rest of the board members averted their eyes and sat in uncomfortable silence. She felt hot, and was surprised that even though the situation had been resolved in a relatively calm and rational manner, the little voice inside of her was screaming that it hadn’t been enough. The voice inside of her wanted blood, and wouldn’t be satisfied ‘til it did. Lena took some breaths to try and help steady herself, fighting back the rage brewing inside, and hastily told the rest of the board members the meeting would reconvene later in the week, rushing out of the conference room before she did something else she might regret. Though, to be honest, she didn’t really regret firing Gary, she was just alarmed by the strength of her emotions and her sudden inability to regulate them.

All of this before noon. Walking over to a cabinet in her office, she pulled out a decanter full of amber liquid, and poured its contents into a glass. She stared at it for a moment, considering her options, before picking it up and taking several consecutive swigs until the glass was empty. She coughed slightly, feeling the scotch burn as it went down. Getting drunk in the middle of the day probably wasn’t the best place to start, but she poured another glass before walking over to her intercom and instructing Jess to notify the lab that it was closing early today and all the scientists were to be sent home with pay for the missed hours. She nursed the rest of her drink as she waited impatiently to examine the kryptonite, and more importantly, to figure out what the hell was wrong with her.


End file.
